Lewis & Clark embraces renewable energy

May 07, 2008

(Portland, Ore.)—Lewis & Clark was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the 2007-2008 Individual Conference Champion for purchasing more green power than any other school in the Northwest Conference. The EPA has been tracking green power purchasing among collegiate athletic conferences nationwide through its College & University Green Power Challenge.

Lewis & Clark beat out its conference rivals by purchasing more than 4 million kilowatt-hours of green power annually, representing one third of the school’s annual purchased electricity use.
The EPA estimates that Lewis & Clark’s green power purchase will have the impact of reducing the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emissions from more than 1,000 passenger cars annually.

In an effort to expand its use of alternative energies, Lewis & Clark is also partnering with Honeywell International, a technology and manufacturing company, to supply the campus sports facility with solar power. Under the agreement, Honeywell will install solar panels on the roof of the Pamplin Sports Center this summer and sell to the college the electricity produced by the panels. The power purchase agreement is the first of its kind for a college or university in Oregon.

“This project benefits the college and our community in many ways,” said Thomas Hochstettler, president of Lewis & Clark College. “It supports our vision toward sustainability, offers our students the opportunity to learn about green technology, and serves as a model for what I hope are many more projects like this all over Oregon. It’s a great example in which the environment wins while the education and business sectors thrive.”

The panels are expected to generate more than 97,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. They will produce enough power to meet approximately 15 percent of the electricity needs for a facility like the sports center. And they will deliver environmental benefits as well, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 1.8 million pounds over the course of the 20-year agreement. According to figures from the EPA, this is equivalent to removing more than 180 cars from the road for a year.